West Ham have been linked with Brazilian hotshot Alexandre Pato, currently out of favour with his home club Corinthians.

The 26-year-old international, tipped to be a hot property in his youth, has been on loan at Sao Paolo since 2014 and Corinthians president Roberto de Andrade is said to be keen to do a deal.

West Ham are the most likely contenders for the striker who wants to play in “one of the big cities” in England. In the past, Spurs and Crystal Palace have shown an interest in a player who scored 51 goals in 117 appearances for AC Milan in Serie A. He has scored 25 goals in the 2015 season for Sao Paulo.

The man – full name Alexandre Rodriguez da Silva – tipped to become the next Brazilian superstar when he was a teenager is said to be a headline grabber although his career has stuttered in recent seasons. He is an agile, creative centre forward, good on the ball and with a striker’s eye for goal

With West Ham keen to capitalise on their current success and give their move into the Olympic Park with some star power, a deal with the Brazilian international could be in the offing.

Pato comes from the Portuguese word for “duck” and derives from the place of his birth – Pato Branco. He scored his first goal for the Brazilian team on his debut against Sweden at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in 2008, beating Pelé’s record by scoring a goal within seconds of his full international debut.